how to improve reading fluency

[loosinas]

are there any tips to improve reading fluency apart from just to keep reading ? my son is on the orange book band, and hes sounding out a lot.. sometimes even words that he can read on sight.. almost like its a habit ?
many thanks x

Hi

What Year group is he, as Orange band could be R, Yr1, Yr2 even Yr3 in some cases, depending on child's ability?

I was a TA for ten years, then a voluntary helper, particularly supporting reading. Younger children feel 'safe' sounding out, and Yes, some will continue to do it even when they know words quite well. In due course they do slip out of the habit.

Does he have a variety of books to read, or only the 'scheme' ones from school? The wider the variety you can offer the better, and not only books - comics, magazines, even 'junk mail', and see what words he can pick out quickly, then see if he can sound out the harder words.

Look for little words within longer words - 'bed' in 'climbed' is a favourite example.
Try to make words, writing and reading a 'fun' activity. If he has particular interests - football, music, nature and animals, other places (geography) - find books, leaflets, travel brochures etc that might engage his interest. Encourage writing with a diary of the day's/weekend's events. Let him write little stories for his favourite toy or teddy. Don't expect perfect spelling, but as long as the initial sound is there, or you can phonically recognise what a word is supposed to be, that will do for a start.

Teachers might not agree with this, but if you read with him a book he enjoys that is way too hard for him, trace the text with your finger as you read, but pause at words you know he can, or should be able, to read then he will have the satisfaction of contributing something to a harder story, even though you are doing the bulk of the work.

Good luck.

I think to improve reading fluency you need to read each story, out loud, 2 or 3 times until hopefully it is fluent.

If he's still sounding lots of words out on the 3rd reading I'd think either it's a habit he's in or the reading book is too hard.

hes in year one .. thanks for your advice guys will definitely take it on board. his writing is quite weak too x

Sometimes children need to be told they don't need to keep sounding out every word - "can you remember you read that word on the last page?"

Isn't it a bit random and dependent on the child? My daughter recognises the words know and could but always has to sound out what and where. She reads the same words over and over again. She reads the same stories over and over again. She doesn't sound out where in Where the Wild Things are because she knows that that's what that title says. But when you open the book and start reading she has to sound out where. And with adding things she always has to count the initial number even though she knows that we're adding five to ten. She still has to count the sum starting from one. I'm guessing that she'll stop doing things like this when she works out for herself that it's not necessary. I've tried pointing it out a couple of times, but she just gives me a funny look and starts counting from one again. So I don't interrupt her these days.

Your daughter hasn't started school yet Learnandsay and what you describe is normal necessary developmental stages for young children